Jayin Ijaad is in hiding. A witch with powerful abilities, she carves out a life for herself in the slums of Pavaal, a city rotting from the inside out. When an old acquaintance tracks her down, Jayin is dragged back into a world she tried to escape — and is determined to escape again.

Maddix Kell is on the run. After two years in prison for crimes he did not commit, Maddix escapes and seeks out a legendary order of witchhunters who are his only chance to find justice.

But all is not as it seems and Maddix soon finds himself on the run from the people he sought as allies. When their paths collide, Jayin and Maddix must put aside their prejudices and forge an uneasy alliance that could crumble at any moment. But if they want to survive in Aestos — a brutal kingdom where magic and corruption lie hand in hand and enemies lurk around every corner — they must first survive each other.

Catching Stars has an incredible and complex magic system and a cast of characters to match, leading to a world and story that is as well built and enthralling as it is grim and cruel. Jayin and Maddix’s stories pass back and forth with distinct and easy to follow changes in perspective that underline the author’s talent.

Catching Stars starts with our main characters as adversaries, their roles of the hunter and hunted in constant flux, while a slow building of trust and reliance builds to companionship and then, finally, to romance. These two characters have to navigate a world that is completely against them while having to rely on each other and I loved how Jayin and Maddix struggled with this and how they grew together as characters and learned, especially in Maddix’s perspective, to grow past prejudices.

While I loved these two and their world, and greatly anticipate the second book (I mean, jeez, that ending), I found some of the twists at the end rather… convenient? I’m not so sure that is the right word, and our main characters aren’t exactly in a “convenient” position in the end, but the reveals were predictable and how they were unveiled was a bit overdone and at odds with the writing in the rest of the book.

The ending forgiven, especially once I get my hands on the sequel, Catching Stars is definitely worth reading and Cayla Keenan an author to watch.

Disclaimer: The synopsis and cover picture were pulled from the book’s Goodreads page. Neither belong to us. A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.